A catalytic converter assembly is typically deployed upon a vehicle and is communicatively and physically coupled to the engine, effective to receive and to treat the undesirable engine emissions. The treated emissions are then output from the assembly and communicated to the vehicle's exhaust assembly where they are output into the ambient environment in which the vehicle resides. More particularly, the catalytic converter assembly usually resides upon the bottom surface of the vehicle. Since the catalytic converter assembly resides upon the bottom surface of the vehicle (i.e., the surface of the vehicle which is in close proximity and slightly above the road upon which the vehicle travels), it is highly desirable to form the catalytic converter into an oval or relatively thin or low profile shape or geometric configuration in order to ensure that adequate clearance exists between the catalytic converter and the road.
While prior catalytic converter assemblies adequately treat the undesirable engine emissions, they are difficult to manufacture, requiring the selective formation and attachment of many separate and individual portions or members, thereby undesirably increasing the overall vehicle cost and undesirably increasing the likelihood that some of these individual members or portions become or are defective or "out of tolerance", thereby preventing the overall catalytic converter assembly from properly fitting beneath the vehicle and from properly operating.
Some attempts have been made to simplify the manufacture or formation of a catalytic converter assembly, such as by the use of a single tube or member which has a relatively large diameter. The relatively large diameter tube or member is selectively reduced or made thinner by a "drawing" or "spinning" process. While this process does produce a catalytic converter assembly which selectively treats undesirable engine emissions, it does not allow a substantially low profile or oval shaped member to be practically produced, thereby undesirably causing the deployed catalytic converter assembly to be in relatively close proximity to the road surface and concomitantly increasing the likelihood of damage to the converter by stones or other debris or objects which are resident upon the road. In order to improve the "road clearance", the catalytic converter must by mounted relatively "high" within the vehicle, thereby undesirably reducing the amount of mounting space necessary for the other vehicle components. The mounting space requirements of these other vehicle components may even make this alternative catalytic converter mounting arrangement substantially unavailable or unattainable.
Further, the drawing or reduction of the provided member or tube detrimentally impacts or substantially reduces the structural integrity of the tube, thereby increasing the likelihood of failure or malfunction of the catalytic converter assembly.
There is therefore a need for a new and improved method for making a catalytic converter assembly which allows a substantially low profile or oval/elliptically shaped catalytic converter assembly to be produced from a single tubular member and in a manner which overcomes at least some of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior techniques or methodologies for making catalytic converter assemblies.